1 September – 23 October

‘Ewe bewdy’ – Libby Schreiber

‘Brushwind’ – Liz Caffin

Commencing 1 September downstairs at Falkner Gallery is a new exhibition of linocuts by Libby Schreiber entitled ‘Ewe bewdy’ in which she expresses the search for a sense of the true Australian identity in a rapidly changing world. Her romantic and nostalgic view of urban and rural Australia inspires her to highlight the sheep as a symbol, not only by referring to the humble items in our homes – that crocheted blanket, knitted jumper, woolly tea cosy and woolen suit – but as well, by playfully exploring the differences between the English sheep and the hardened Aussie version – lamb roast with 3 veg, our famous explorers’ woolen garments and the irony of the sheep being more valued than the native kangaroo.

Her skilful linocut technique, her bold compositions and her clever play on Aussie ‘isms’ – ewe-nited, ewe-nique, ewe bewdy – make this exhibition both serious and hilarious.

Libby is an accomplished Melbourne printmaker and teacher whose work is held in numerous public and private collections. Her exhibition at Falkner Gallery in 2014 was highly successful and this new work continues and develops her mastery of content and technique.

Upstairs at the same time is a new exhibition by Castlemaine artist Liz Caffin entitled ‘Brushwind’. Liz also examines the Australian identity, particularly in relation to her links with Australia and Italy.

The exhibition includes charcoal drawings and prints (etchings/aquatints). Liz draws the Italian city – the place where art came to express the dramatic, where artists discovered the power of chiaroscuro – the use of light and shade. She uses strong blacks and subtle shades of grey to create a sense of place and mystery where viewers must interpret the meaning of the shadows on the paper for themselves. She observes and notes the complexity of our relationship to landscapes and to urban environments – both Australian and Italian.

Liz has held numerous exhibitions at Falkner Gallery and elsewhere and her work has been purchased for both public and private collections. She has recently returned from Siracusa in Sicily, Italy, where she had a successful exhibition of her drawings and prints in the Palazzo di Governo – the Regional Government building on the island of Ortigia.

Liz studied art at RMIT, completing an MA in printmaking in 1998. She lives near Castlemaine in Central Victoria.

Both exhibitions, ‘Ewe bewdy’ by Libby Schreiber and ‘Brushwind’ by Liz Caffin, are powerful comments on Australia and the Australian way of life by talented artists. Both commence 1 September and continue until 23 October. The artists will be present Saturday 3 September 2 – 4 pm.